1Kondoi Beach

One of the most beautiful beaches in Yaeyama with white sand and blue water

Located in the west of Taketomi Island, this beach is representative of the Yaeyama Islands. Its white sand and crystal clear cobalt blue sea are beautiful. This is the only beach on Taketomi Island where you can swim. There are showers, changing rooms, and toilets, and in the summer season, a parlor opens where you can rent parasols and buy shaved ice. The water is shallow and very calm, so even small children can enjoy swimming safely. The beach is also covered with pure white sand, so it's fun to draw pictures in the sand and play in the sand. The changing colors over time and the gradations of the sea's colors are stunningly beautiful.

After the last boat leaves, we head to a quiet beach with a beautiful sunset.

Even in summer, the last boat to Ishigaki Island leaves at around 6pm. After the boat departs, only guests staying at the hotel and local islanders are left on Taketomi Island. The quiet beach is a refreshing change from the bustle of the day. With views of Ishigaki Island, Kohama Island, and Iriomote Island in the distance, the sunset is beautiful. The pure white sand is smooth and it feels great to walk barefoot. When the tide goes out a little, a small beach appears in the sea and you can walk onto it. It is also recommended to enjoy the ever-changing scenery, which changes depending on the time of day, such as high tide or low tide.

Kondoi Beach

• https://painusima.com/52/
• Okinawa Prefecture Yaeyama District Taketomi Town Taketomi MAP
• About 10 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port
• There is a sightseeing bus from Taketomi Port. Get off at Kondoihama stop.
• Open daily
• 0980-82-5445（竹富町観光協会）

2Kaiji Beach

A popular spot also known as "Star Sand Beach"

This is the coast next to Kondoi Beach. Once you pass through the tunnel-like thickets of trees, you'll see the clear blue ocean and white sand. It's also known as "Star Sand Beach" and is famous for being able to find star-shaped sand. Press your palm into the sand and look closely at the sand on your hand to find small star-shaped grains. They are actually foraminifera shells attached to seaweed. You can't take them home, but you can purchase key chains with star sand in them at the souvenir shop. Swimming is not possible due to the fast tides, but there are shaded areas and swings where you can relax.

Relax in the shade while gazing at the clear blue sea.

In the shade of the subtropical trees, you can find small hermit crabs with colorful shells. If you turn over a rock on the beach, you may find some creatures. You can also see children enjoying interacting with the creatures by making paths and houses for hermit crabs out of the sand. From Kaiji Beach, you can also watch the ships traveling between Ishigaki Island and other islands, so it's a great place to take your children for a relaxing walk. If you walk north along Kaiji Beach, it will lead you to Kondoi Beach, so it's also a pleasant place to stroll along the beach.

Kaiji Beach

• https://painusima.com/2135/
• Okinawa Prefecture Yaeyama District Taketomi Town Taketomi MAP
• About 15 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port
• There is a sightseeing bus from Taketomi Port. Get off at Kaijihama.
• Open daily
• 0980-82-5445（竹富町観光協会）

3West Pier

Watch the beautiful sunset from a pier stretching out into the sea

Located on the west side of Taketomi Island, this pier stretches straight out into the sea. Built in 1938, it was once used as a dock for boats travelling to and from Iriomote Island and for fishing. In 2005, it was registered as a national tangible cultural property. As it stretches towards the west, it is known as a famous spot for viewing magnificent sunsets. If you visit in the evening, you will be treated to a beautiful sunset that changes its appearance depending on the day. Even after the sun has set, there is something special to watch the sky burn red for a while. This is a privilege that can only be enjoyed by guests staying overnight.

Enjoy the ocean views that change with the time of day

During daylight hours, the calm waves and pale blue ocean spread out before you, making for a mesmerizing sight. If you go to the end of the bridge that stretches straight out towards the sea, you will feel as if you are one with the sea and the sky. With Iriomote Island right in front of you, you can also spot crabs, fish and other creatures by peering into the sea from the pier. In season, you can see the islanders coming to harvest seafood such as asa and mozuku seaweed, giving you a sense of their daily lives up close.
Taketomi Town, including Taketomi Island, and part of Ishigaki Island were designated as Japan's first "starry sky conservation area." The view of the starry sky from the West Pier at night is truly spectacular.

West Pier

• https://painusima.com/899/
• Okinawa Prefecture Yaeyama District Taketomi Town Taketomi MAP
• About 15 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port
• There is a sightseeing bus from Taketomi Port. It is about a 5-minute walk from the "Taketomi Village" stop.
• 0980-82-5445（竹富町観光協会）

4Taketomi Island Yugafukan (Taketomi Island Visitor Center)

Experience the culture and nature of Taketomi Island

Located near Taketomi East Port, this visitor center was established by the Ministry of the Environment. It introduces the traditional culture, nature, and lifestyle of Taketomi Island in the language of the islanders. The building, which opened in 2004, makes full use of Ryukyu architectural techniques, has a pleasant wooden texture, and a wide, open ceiling. "Yugafu" means "to be blessed with bountiful harvests through the protection of heaven." It is imbued with the hope for interaction between visitors and the islanders. It is a place where you can take your time looking at the exhibits and books and experience what is important to Taketomi Island.

A proposal for island walking starting from Yugafukan

Inside the museum, you can see a variety of folk crafts such as "Minsa weaving" that has been passed down on the island, baskets made from plants, and weaving machines. There are also video and audio exhibits, so it's a place you can enjoy with all five senses. There are also books and picture books about Taketomi Island, which are popular with children and islanders alike.
On Taketomi Island, there is a 6km long "Nature Learning Trail" that starts from Yugafukan, where you can encounter various creatures such as butterflies, flowers, and birds, as well as architecture such as wells and buildings. We recommend taking a leisurely walk while feeling the island breeze.

Taketomi Island Yugafukan

• https://www.taketomijima.jp/
• Okinawa Prefecture Yaeyama District Taketomi Town Taketomi MAP
• About 3 minutes walk from Taketomi Port
• 8:00～17:00
• During a typhoon
• free
• 0980-85-2488
• The theater and audio guide are currently closed as a precaution against the spread of infection.
  
  

5Akayama Park/Nagomi Tower

A park loved by local children

Akayama Park, located in the Nishi village of Taketomi Island, is said to be where the Heike clan, who were cast away and washed up on the island, built their castle. This small park, developed by the residents of the Nishi village in 1949, is home to a "star-watching stone" that was used to decide the date for sowing crops, a "drum stone" that makes a sound when struck, a horse-shaped "stone horse," and on a turtle-shell shaped hill stands the "Nagomi Tower," a symbol of Taketomi Island.

The symbol of Taketomi Island, registered as a tangible cultural property

Nagomi Tower was built in 1953 as Property for communicating within the village, and is 4.5m tall. It is one of the highest points on the generally flat Taketomi Island, and was registered as a national tangible cultural property in 2006. Previously, you could climb to the top of the tower and get a panoramic view of the village's red-tiled houses, but this is no longer possible due to safety reasons. You can still climb to the base of the tower on the hill and feel the history and breeze of the island.

Akayama Park/Nagomi Tower

• Okinawa Prefecture Yaeyama District Taketomi Town Taketomi MAP
• About 10 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port
• 0980-82-5445（竹富町観光協会）

6Nitta Tourism Buffalo Carriage Tourism

Ride a water buffalo and enjoy the atmospheric townscape while listening to the sound of the sanshin

Taketomi Island's beautiful villages feature red tile roofs and roads made of white coral sand. Nitta Kanko's water buffalo cart tour takes you on a leisurely 30-minute tour around the village. You'll visit spots where you can experience the island's culture and history, such as the birthplace of the legendary beauty Asato Kuyama, the birthplace of the famous Okinawa folk song "Asatoya Yunta," and Yumuchi Utaki, the site of the Tanadui Seed-Gathering Festival, Taketomi Island's largest event and a designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. Your guide will play the sanshin and sing shimauta (traditional Okinawan folk songs) while explaining the island's history and how the houses were built.

Recommended for families with children. Experience the history of the island through a water buffalo cart tour.

Water buffalo cart tourism on Taketomi Island began over 40 years ago, shortly after Okinawa was returned to the mainland. It started as a way to shuttle Guest/customer from private lodgings to the beach. At the time, cars were rare on the island, so water buffaloes were used to transport luggage and people. Water buffaloes are calm and cute, and are recommended for families with children. Water buffaloes travel around the island at a slower pace than humans. Taketomi Island retains the original scenery of old Okinawa. Enjoying a leisurely tour while admiring the beautiful scenery and feeling the history and culture is island time that can only be experienced here.

Nitta Tourism

• http://www.nitta-k.net/
• 97 Taketomi, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
• Approximately 8 minutes by bicycle from Taketomi Port (Shuttle bus available from the port)
• Wednesdays, during the Seed-Gathering Festival
• Adults: 1,500 yen Children (elementary school students and above): 750 yen
• 0980-85-2103

7HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island

Immerse yourself in island time in a townscape that retains the original Okinawan scenery

Taketomi Island is a small island with a circumference of 9.2km, formed by the uplift of a coral reef, about 10 minutes by high-speed ferry from Ishigaki Island. The streets are lined with Ryukyu red roofing tiles, hand-built stone walls and paths paved with pure white coral sand, and the clear blue sea and sky. Island time flows slowly with the sound of someone plucking a sanshin.
Guest room at HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island are wooden one-story buildings following the traditional architecture of Taketomi Island, where shisa lions watch over the roofs. All verandas face south, allowing a pleasant southern breeze to blow through. For meals, try the "Ryukyu Nouvelle," a French-style meal made with ingredients unique to Okinawa. Enjoy the surprising flavors.

HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island

• https://hoshinoya.com/taketomijima/
• Okinawa Prefecture Yaeyama District Taketomi Town Taketomi MAP
• Approximately 8 minutes by free shuttle bus from Taketomi Port
• 0570-073-066 (Accommodation reservations 9:00-20:00)
• none

8Hoshino Resorts　Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Kohamajima

A private remote island beach resort

This resort hotel is located on Kohama Island in the Yaeyama Islands, the southwestern tip of Japan, about 25 minutes by regular high-speed ferry from Ishigaki Island. It opened on July 1, 2020. There are only 60 Guest room rooms on a site of about 120,000 square meters. The small size of the hotel gives it a sense of privacy, and you can relax without being crowded anywhere. You will feel as if you have the white sand beach on the premises and the emerald green sea that can be seen from there all to yourself. Please enjoy an elegant holiday that can only be enjoyed on a remote island.

Hoshino Resorts　Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Kohamajima

• https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/risonarekohamajima/
• 2954 Obama, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
• Approximately 10 minutes by free shuttle bus from Obama Port
• 050-3134-8093（リゾナーレ予約センター/9:30-18:00）
• to exist

9Hoshino Resorts　Hoshino Resorts Iriomote Hotel

A jungle resort on the island where the Iriomote wildcat lives

This resort hotel is located in Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, about 45 minutes by regular high-speed ferry from Ishigaki Island. It opened in October 2019. Iriomote Island, where the hotel is located, is one of the Yaeyama Islands, located at the southwestern tip of Japan. It is a subtropical island surrounded by a coral reef sea and 90% covered by jungle, and is also known as "Japan's last unexplored area" because it is home to rare plants and animals, including the Iriomote wildcat, a special natural monument. Enjoy a relaxing time where you can become one with the workings of nature through outdoor Activity that allow you to enjoy the great outdoors of Iriomote Island, and tours that allow you to experience the rare ecosystem and culture of the island.

Hoshino Resorts Iriomote Hotel

• https://hoshinoresorts.com/ja/hotels/iriomote/
• 2-2 Uehara, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
• Approximately 10 minutes by free shuttle bus from Uehara Port
• to exist